Nehemiah Cleanup

As I drive along the road this time of year, I see quite a lot of trash.
Plastic bags from the grocery store are stuck in the tree branches.
Plastic water bottles are strewn here and there along the roadway.
Sometimes I will see a random sneaker, or a lost glove left over from the winter.

Our roadways have rectangular signs that address this problem.
Rectangular signs that have the name of groups that clean up the road.
The groups take responsibility for small sections of the roadway.
Small sections that are lovingly taken care of by the people who live there.

In a few weeks, the trash I see scattered about will be gone.
In a few weeks, the roadside will look new again.
People taking responsibility.
People caring for the place where they live.

The news is filled with sad commentary on the riots in Baltimore.
The young people are taking to the streets in violence and mayhem.
Social media was used to gather everyone at 2:00 in order to protest.
The protest turned out to be a rampage of looting, arson, and violence.

The community is being destroyed in rage.
Rage over the death of a young man.
Rage that has been condemned by the young man’s family.
Rage that has been condemned by the pastors in the area.

But no one seems to be listening.
Investigations into his death are ongoing, but the rage continues.
Innocent shop owners are being victimized and the rage continues.
A beautiful city is being destroyed as the rage continues.

And then there was one man.
One man with a broom.
One man who took it upon himself to begin the cleanup.
One man who used whatever flattened cardboard box he could find as a dustpan.

One man silhouetted against the flames down the street.
One man doing a simple act as the police stood by.
One man who emptied the broken glass in a barrel that was nearby.
One man whose quiet demonstration began to motivate.

I watched as the man continued to sweep up the broken glass.
He did not have signs with angry words to show his protest.
He did not stand there yelling obscenities to the police who were trying to keep order.
He quietly took a stand by doing the simplest thing.

He cleaned up the area in front of him.

People walking by saw him and stared.
Young people on the street watched him in silence.
Soon, the people began to pick up the trash and debris.
People began to throw things away in the barrel that was nearby.

One man with a broom began to repair the brokenness.

More news footage came out of the city of Baltimore.
One mother, dressed in a bright yellow shirt happened to see her son on television.
She saw her son taking part in the violence.
She was appalled at what she saw and she took action.

She did what every teenager dreads.
She went after her son.
She found him on the streets and she grabbed him by the neck.
She began to hit him and yell at him, Get home!

A cameraman captured this on film.
The teenage boy, taller than his mother, did not strike back.
He took the rebuke and seemed embarrassed that he was caught and reprimanded.
Reprimanded in front of his peers and unbeknownst to him, on national TV.

One woman, disciplining her son to repair the brokenness.

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble you are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, Let us start the rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
(Nehemiah 2:17,18)

Nehemiah was cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.
When he was informed that the city of Jerusalem was in ruins, he prayed and took action.
Those Jews that had survived the exile, were living in the city in disgrace.
The wall of Jerusalem had been broken down and the gates had been burned with fire.

A wall may seem like an insignificant structure, but it served many purposes.
It served as a form of protection.
It served as a stronghold to prevent assimilation in the pagan cultures around Jerusalem.
The Jews were in danger of losing their identity as they became like those around them.

God put it on Nehemiah’s heart to rebuild the wall.
Nehemiah was a great organizer.
Nehemiah was a pragmatic leader.
Nehemiah rebuilt the wall in just fifty-two days with the help of the people.

Nehemiah organized a brilliant plan for each person to rebuild a section of the wall.
They were to rebuild that part of the wall that was directly in front of their house.
There were goldsmiths and perfume makers working next to priests and temple servants.
Rulers worked next to their daughters and residents worked next to merchants.

Each made repairs right in front of their own house.
Each took responsibility.
Each cared for that part of the wall in front of where they lived.
The repairs were being made; the gaps were being filled.

And the wall was rebuilt.
Responsibility was taken.
One person at a time doing a simple thing.
One person at a time starting the process.

Just like the man with the broom.
Just like the mother going after her son.
Each taking responsibility for their own section of the wall.
And the wall will soon be rebuilt, stronger than ever before.

May God strengthen our hands to do the work that is before us.
May we assume responsibility for the section of the wall that is directly in front of us.
The brokenness can be repaired one person at a time.
Are you ready to do your part and repair your section of the wall?

 

2 responses to “Nehemiah Cleanup”

1. Yes we each need to repair the wall. God calls us . We must respond! Headed to Ridgecrest, Conference Center Asheville NC for Smoky Mt. Women’s Retreat… speaking 4 times… May1-3 Theme is Ephesians 2:10… God is faithful and we all have a work to do. Bless you for plumbing the Word… in this case blowing the trumpet. Love. BiIllie

   Reply

   • Billie,
     Yes, we are called. God will use you greatly at the Women’s Retreat. This is not the time to be silent. Continue. Press on. Write and speak Kingdom things so others will hear. Blessings, friend.
     Gina

     Reply